Heart Throbbing Holiday Island Adventure (Lumine Version)

"Ugh...she got me."

"She’s too strong! I’m out of here!"

"Run!"

Somewhere in Jueyun Karst, a gang of Treasure Hoarders fled after a humiliating defeat.

"That’ll teach them not to cause trouble!" said Paimon, putting her hands on her hips. As the last of them vanished into a cloud of smoke, she turned to her traveling partner and shrugged. "How many times have we dealt with these guys?"

Fighting those Treasure Hoarders was another one of the daily commissions that served as the bread and butter for Lumine and her flying companion, Paimon. Since they began taking jobs in Liyue for the Adventurer’s Guild, they got asked to take care of those thieves often.

Paimon sighed. "And they are so greedy they keep trying to fight you. They never learn. Anyway, we can claim our reward now."

While Paimon kept talking, cheering her for another job well done, Lumine walked closer to the abandoned camp. The Treasure Hoarders had left everything in it behind, and while most of it was junk, there was something worth looking among that junk.

"What’s that?" Paimon flew to her side as she picked it off the ground. "A map?"

One of the thieves was looking at it before and had put it aside to fight the Traveler, but nobody recovered when they ran away. It pictured Liyue Harbor and the land and sea around it, with a circled x marking a spot in the water southeast of it.

"It’s a treasure map," said Lumine.

"Treasure?!" Paimon’s eyes lit up with excitement, like glittering Mora. She leaned forward to take a closer look. "We have to go find it!"

"Who’s being greedy now?" the Traveler asked with a sideways glance. She smiled, teasingly.

Paimon turned away from the map to look at Lumine. "It’s okay, Paimon has her best buddy (Traveler) to protect her. No Treasure Hoarder is a match for you."

"I can take out a thousand of them with one punch."
"That’s why Paimon knows you’re the best! You’re getting stronger every day!" She gave her a thumbs-up. "The place isn’t so far from the Adventurer’s Guild in Liyue, we can claim the rewards and go for the treasure after."

"If you insist...I’m doing this for you."

Paimon giggled. "Come on, Paimon knows you want to get it too. You enjoy finding hidden chests as much as Paimon." She took her hand, pulling to hurry her back to the main road. "Let’s go!"

Going to the nearest Teleport Waypoint, it took them little to return to the harbor and get paid for their commissions. Their daily jobs had been fast and easy that day, and it was still hours before lunch-time by the time they received their rewards from Katheryne. Still full of energy, they boarded their Waverider and sailed as the map told them.

After traveling by boat nonstop for a while, the Traveler began to doubt about the map. They were already so far from the harbor that the faint sea mist was enough to hide it from their sight, and yet there wasn’t any other land to see.

"This is strange," said Paimon, echoing Lumine’s thoughts, "we should have seen a huge rock according to the map." She checked it again to make sure. It said, indeed, that there was a rock not far from the coast, and they had gone the right direction to it. "This map is no good, whoever made it had no idea what he was doing."

She rolled the map back into a scroll and tossed it to the back of the boat.

"It can’t be helped. How about we explore for a bit longer? Paimon’s sure we’ll find a box with Mora, at least. Paimon doesn’t want to have gone this far for nothing."

"Paimon, take the fishing rod."

"Eh? Why?"

"If we’re going to spend more time to find the treasure, we are eating outside."

"No way. Nobody could catch fish in this water."

Lumine slowed the boat down and turned her head to look Paimon in the eyes with a tender smile. "You’re not any fisher, you’re the greatest fishing companion, the queen of angling! I believe in you!"

Paimon gasped in surprise. "You really think that? Aww, (Traveler), you’re very good at fishing to-" just as she had her hand hovering over the rod, she realized what the Traveler was doing. "Hey! Flattery doesn’t work on Paimon!" she shouted. "The water is too agitated to catch anything, anyway."

It was not an easy change to perceive initially, however Lumine had noticed the water’s movement becoming more violent for a while before her companion told her. She knew the Waverider could handle far stronger weather than they were dealing with currently, too, but the sea was only getting more turbulent and the wind was blowing stronger. There were no signs of them calming down, and no hints of any reward.

"Let’s go back."

Paimon grumbled and crossed her arms, but agreed with her. "Yes, let’s go to the shore and come back later. If a storm breaks, it could damage the boat and we’d be in trouble."

The Traveler made a u-turn, and they saw how the mist had gotten worse as well. What was a weak veil before had become a wall of fog behind their back, and now it stood in their way.

"Huh? When did it get so foggy?" Paimon poked her head out of the Waverider, checking the skyline behind. "What!?" she closed the door with a slam. "(Traveler), there’s fog all around us!"

It was growing, rolling over the waters at an alarming pace and quickly getting faster. As the circle that surrounded closed to swallow their ship, there was no escape from it other than pushing through. The boat sped-up forward into the brume; the blinding fog enveloping them was almost sudden, and the cold inside it chilled their bones.

Lumine, however, continued to sail forward. She fought to keep the boat steady against the increasingly wild waters rocking it. The wooden boards creaked loudly along the sounds of the sea splashing. Paimon let out a frightened squeal and flew closer to Lumine, right behind her back.

From inside their cabin, the winds hitting against them made a constant, high-pitched whistle. A storm had arrived. The boat soon began to sway and swerve.

"We’re almost there! N-not much more left!" Paimon raised her voice, attempting to drown out the sounds outside.

The Traveler remained silent, her attention fully on keeping them afloat and correcting course. Nevertheless, the boat eventually tipped to the left with too much strength, such that the force almost threw her against the wall. She pulled herself up while clinging to the helm and turned it to the right, trying to escape the pull of the water, but she could only stop it from toppling.

The Waverider had been caught in a whirlpool, and she had noticed too late. She turned the opposite way to ride the edge of the whirlpool, but was caught by surprise when one of the boards burst. The racket of the wood breaking was accompanied by a current of wind entering through the hole.

Paimon screamed again. She held to the Traveler and buried her face on her back, her whole body shaking.

Another piece of the boat burst again. Lumine couldn’t save the boat anymore. She opened the door and looked outside; the whirlpool was larger than what she could see in the fog. Outside of her range, she could hear what had to be large waves. The situation was grim no matter what.

She grabbed Paimon by the collar and pulled her away from her back. Her eyes were shut tight, and her hands were looking frantically for something to hold onto.

Lumine hugged her, keeping her protected between her chest and her arms. "I won’t let go of you, Paimon."

She jumped at the sea. Everything after was a blur.

Lumine fought against the current. The last thing she felt was the water pulling her under the waves, where light couldn’t reach them. Then, everything went silent.

Some time after. She heard a voice.

"...ke up!" it was muted, barely perceptible. Lumine couldn’t recognize this voice.

Something...somebody, was pushing her. In her numbed state, her senses were still coming back to her. She heard almost nothing, and she could only sense that pressure against her chest.

"wake...! You ha...to w...up!"

She heard that voice again. This time she recognized it. Lumine opened her eyes narrowly, taking in the sunlight. Paimon was on top of her body, sitting on her knees. Her vision was still somewhat hazy, though clear enough to see her. She put one hand on her chin and the other on her forehead, then she opened her mouth wide and it came down on her nose. The Traveler’s eyes opened completely, immediately, when she saw her about to close her mouth. Her body jerked unconsciously, startling Paimon.

"Waah!" Paimon flew backwards to her usual height.

Lumine got up with sluggish movement and rubbed her forehead. Her flying companion’s surprise had helped her wake up faster, but she was still not entirely awake. "Why were you trying to eat my nose?"

She approached her and took a short turn around her, checking her body up close.

"Are you feeling okay, (Traveler)? Are you hurt somewhere?"

"It’s fine, I’m just disoriented."

Paimon put her hand over her heart and sighed. "That’s a relief. Paimon was starting to think you wouldn’t wake up."

"I’m sorry for making you worry so much."

"There’s no need to apologize," she shook her head. Her eyes avoided the Traveler’s as she slowly floated to rest her head on her chest and embrace her. "Paimon shouldn’t have asked you to keep exploring. If you hadn’t been there, Paimon would have been too scared to save herself."

"(Poor Paimon,)" Lumine could still perceive the sadness in her voice. "(She’s trying not to cry for me.)" She put a hand on her head, gently ruffling her hair. She let her stay like that for a little longer until she let go.

And that is when she asked, with a voice that made it sound offhanded, "were you going to suck on my nose, then?"

"Eh? That’s...yes, but what else could Paimon do to help? Paimon’s mouth is not big enough to do mouth-to-mouth."

"You’ve fit bigger food inside," she teased her.

Lumine expected an annoyed reaction, to see her lean forward while telling her to take that back or to see her stomp the air and make an empty, humorous threat. Instead, Paimon simply put her hands behind her back and a looked away from her again.

"T-that’s true, but..."

"But...?"

She turned her head back to shout at her. Her face was reddened. "Of course Paimon would do it to save her best friend, but it’s embarrassing to talk about it! You shouldn’t ask awkward questions like that!"

"Oopsie!" she feigned innocence, bopping her head and sticking her tongue out with her eyes closed.

"...anyway, what is this place?"

They were stranded in an island they’d never seen before. The landscape was distinctly Fontainian. The plants, the rocks, and the sand Lumine was standing on were characteristic of it. It was like the waves had taken them up the waterfalls of that nation, but that was something impossible.

Fontaine’s iconic fauna was missing altogether, however. Even the waters were devoid of fish, organic or mechanical.

"Are we trapped in another world again?" asked Paimon.

It looked as if they were. Far away, a towering wall of fog extended as long as they could see, entrapping the island the same as the one in the sea of Liyue, although this one remained static, thankfully. They couldn’t approach it, either. Their ship had been turned to splinters, and not one piece had reached the beach with them.

"Deep breaths, Paimon."

"Paimon’s not scared." She crossed her arms, her voice and posture were confident, but that confidence went away quick. "Okay, Paimon’s a bit scared, but she knows as long as we’re together we always manage to escape. Let’s start by exploring this island!"

The patch of land they had woken up on was like a small peninsula, choosing the first steps of their adventure for them, taking them to a forest of cypress trees. It was a calm path they walked, the temperature was just right and everything was quiet. Due to that, it was also a bit eerie. The complete loneliness they felt wandering through the trees was unnerving, like the prelude to a danger that never reared its head. A stronger wind would blow between the leaves at times, and the Traveler would, without exception, turn to face these noises to meet nothing. Paimon, though she tried to act the unfazed optimist, would inch closer to Lumine at every one of those distractions. Only one or two more false alarms before they exited the forest and she would have been clinging to her arm.

Stepping out of the shadows, Lumine took a moment to look back on their path. It put into perspective how much she had been walking.

"Phew! We’re finally out, Paimon was getting tired of so many trees."

The Traveler smiled. "There’s so much forest left to see. Let’s go again."

"Eh? Why would you want to go back there? There’s other things to see," she signaled forward "if we go up this hill-" something caught her attention, making her interrupt herself. "Look, (Traveler), up there!"

The incline covered it, but Lumine could barely see what she was pointing at, despite not being able to make out what it was. It looked man-made, possibly some sort of building.

"That’s right, it could be a house. Maybe there are more people here!"

"What if its hilichurls?"

Paimon brought a hand to her forehead. "It’s true, hilichurls are everywhere we go. But if they got here, we might find a way out, too."

Lumine agreed in silence. At least, they could have a boat she could steal to escape with her companion, and even in the worst case they shouldn’t pose a threat to her. They walked up the hill, seeing the building gradually become more visible until, at the summit, it revealed itself in full to them.

A rectangular building, tall like a stack of houses. Connected to it on the side was another one, shorter but larger, and far less symmetrical. Their design was Fontainian, of course, however they still managed to feel out of place in the wilderness of the island.

In front of the shorter building were large pools, with people swimming in them and others lounging around. Specialist meks stood guard at spots outside, watching over the people. Even at a distance, and even though they were painted in black, Lumine and Paimon couldn’t mistake their large robotic frames.

Paimon put a hand over her eyes, like a visor. "What is that? It looks like a hotel, but why would there be a hotel here? Paimon thinks this island is getting stranger, but maybe the people there can tell us where we are."

"Let’s go," replied Lumine, to which Paimon nodded.

"If there’s a restaurant, let’s stop for lunch," she asked while she brought a hand to her belly. "Paimon’s stomach is starting to growl." Lumine didn’t say anything to her, as her eyes were looking past her to somewhere below. "What’s wrong?"

She turned and saw it too. There was another beach, a short walk away from the buildings but hidden behind trees and bushes, and in its waters there was somebody struggling to get to land. A woman dressed in red.

"She looks in trouble. We have to go save her!" Paimon pointed out, and both Lumine and her hurried downhill to rescue that woman. When they arrived at the beach, the Traveler went ahead and jumped into the water. She leapt with a superhuman strength that landed her next to her, where she sunk and rose back to the surface with a large splash.

"(Traveler)!?"

Lumine knew this woman from before. She grabbed her by the arms and hoisted her over her shoulders to swim back to the beach with her. Upon reaching the shore, the woman let go of the Traveler and dropped down, sitting on the sand.

She sighed. "Aaah, I thought I was done for! I can’t move a muscle anymore." She took her hat off and wrung it, making a bucket’s worth of water come out.

Paimon was surprised. "Charlotte!? What are you doing here!?"

And Charlotte was even more surprised. "(Traveler) and Paimon! It’s really you!" Seeing their confused looks, she began explaining tout suite. "Ahem! I was traveling to Yilong Port for my next article. I wanted to go there to get a big interview, but my ship was caught in a storm. When I tried to get back inside, a big wave hit it before I could and dragged me away. The fog was too thick to see where I was going, and when I came out of it I was here."

"You came swimming from all the way there?" asked Paimon.

"Yes. I couldn’t move my legs any more when you rescued me," she said, turning to the Traveler. "You really saved me, (Traveler). Thank you! How did you end in here?"

They explained everything to Charlotte and she listened intently.

"Now that’s interesting, two similar cases at different parts of Teyvat that lead to the same island." Charlotte got up again, readjusted her monocle and checked her kamera. Monsieur Verite was without a stain or scratch, not like her clothes. However, her unkempt wet hair and her disheveled clothes couldn’t bring down the optimism and confidence she exuded. "That means we have a mystery on our hands. Where there’s a mystery, there’s an article waiting to be written!"

"A mystery!?" Like a kamera shutter, something clicked in Paimon’s mind at that word. "Of course!" She turned away briefly. When she turned back to them, she was wearing her glasses and fake mustache, the sign of a true investigator. "Ace Detective Paimon is on the case!"

"The same detective from the "Opera House Switcheroo" case! And her loyal friend, attorney and hero, (Traveler)! Together, the truth can’t hide for long from us!"

They all raised their hands and cheered; even Lumine joined in on the high spirits. After their burst of excitement, however, she toned herself down to a slightly more serious tone. "We should head to that building first."

Everyone agreed with that, being the most obvious spot to go to. Charlotte went some steps ahead of Paimon and Lumine, immediately moving at a jog but stopping quickly when the building became properly visible at a distance. She drew her kamera out, adjusted her target and shot, then did the same a few more times, only slowing down to change targets and angles. Her photographing was fast but impeccable, like a second nature to her. When she hanged Monsieur Verite back on her belt, Lumine and Paimon had reached her just recently.

"She’s really motivated. You wouldn’t think she was about to drown before," thought Paimon out loud.

The three continued walking together after, and reached the entrance. Its large door was open, and on the wall above it hanged an extravagant sign that was even bigger. Written on it were incomprehensible symbols that resembled the common script, but on closer inspection was wholly unrelated. Next to the alien text, a drawing of a well-dressed rabbit beckoned them to come inside.

To the sides of the door were two smaller ones, currently closed and blocked by specialist meks. One was an Annihilation Mek, the other a Suppression Mek, both were exact duplicates of the Gardemek models found in Fontaine, though they distinguished themselves with a custom coat of paint. The machines had black tuxedos painted over their bodies to give them a more elegant style, and their painted-on bow ties helped make them look less intimidating.

The guards turned their heads as the Traveler approached, vigilant of every step she took, but they stood in their place as if they were statues, allowing Lumine access to the lobby uninterrupted.

On the inside, the building looked as good as on the outside, if not better. The infrastructure and decorations could rival the Opera Epiclese’s.

"Welcome," said another clockwork mek behind the counter. It looked like the Suppression Mek from the entrance, though it lacked its weapons. With a polite but monotone voice, it continued talking. "Welcome to Hotel Les Mémoires, where you can bet on a good night’s sleep."

"Hello," replied Paimon, "we got here by accident and we were wondering were we are."

"Welcome. Welcome to Hotel Les Mémoires, where you can bet on a good night’s sleep."

"Paimon knows that already, what Paimon wanted to know was what is this island. Is there a port somewhere?"

"Welcome. Welcome to Hotel Les Mémoires," the machine began to explain yet again.

"Eh? This machine keeps repeating the same line. Did it break?"

"Sorry. I can only answer questions about the hotel."

Lumine could have asked about the origins of the hotel, but instead she chose to ask something else. "Where’s the bathroom?"

Paimon turned to her. "Do you need to go, (Traveler)?"

"There are individual restrooms in each hotel room. Our restrooms include a bathtub and the best products for hygiene. You may access these rooms through the elevators to your right." The mek extended an arm to them, then snapped it back to a neutral stance, and turned its head to stare at Charlotte. "In compliance with Rule 5, however, washing clothes in the bath is forbidden. A laundry is available for everyone on the first floor, at an affordable price."

Charlotte frowned. "I left my luggage on the boat."

"If you don’t have spare clothes, you can rent them on the first floor, at an affordable price." Then, it did the exact same motion as before but to the opposite side. "There are restrooms in the casino to your left, and each restaurant and bar inside must have one in compliance with Rule 12.5. Those restrooms do not have a bath, and washing oneself in them will be a violation of Rule 5."

The word casino caught the attention of the group, and the word restaurant grabbed Paimon’s interest. Though the door to the left was closed, they could hear noise coming out of the other side, giving the impression of it bustling with people.

"Any further questions?" asked the mek.

"Yes," Charlotte replied, "how long has this hotel been open for?"

The mek snapped back to its neutral position again. Without missing a beat, it answered. "The hotel has always existed." Then, it repeated itself once more. "Any further questions?"

"No, thank you."

Lumine, Paimon and Charlotte walked away from the counter, moving to the door to the casino. In a low voice, Paimon, spoke aside to the others. "What kind of answer is that? Like anyone would believe that about the hotel."

"It’s not a living machine, Paimon," said the Traveler.

Charlotte glanced at the receptionist mek. "Exactly, it’s probably saying a set of predetermined answers."

Paimon rested her chin on her thumb and index finger. "But why would they program it to say something so suspicious?"

Charlotte gave a short laugh. "Finding out why is part of the thrill. My journalistic instinct tells me there are more mysteries to uncover inside the casino, you go ahead and I’ll find you later."

"Huh? Where are you going?"

"My clothes are a mess, I’m going to clean up first."

"Okay, see you soon, Charlotte!" Paimon, as well as Lumine, waved at her as she rushed to the elevator. "Paimon is curious to see the casino, aren’t you? Let’s see what’s behind the door."

But when the Traveler put a hand on the door, the mek raised its voice, though still monotone. "Rule 7.1.2: It is forbidden to enter the casino wearing a fake mustache or nose."

"Uwaah, Paimon hadn’t noticed she was still wearing the glasses!" She took them off in a hurry.

They stepped into the casino. It was colorful, luxurious beyond their expectations, more high-class in design even compared to the hotel. Tables and slot-machines were spread across the large room that comprised the majority of the building and the entirety of the casino.

It was a busy establishment, as the sounds they’d heard before had hinted at, almost crowded full with people dressed in expensive-looking attires. Whether playing the different games or coming in and out of the other rooms, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. The casino’s overall atmosphere was calm, and though it was louder on the inside, it was considerably less than would be expected with such a large number of people.

"So this is what a casino looks like on the inside. Paimon’s never been in one before." She shrugged her shoulders, looking at the Traveler. "Where do we go first? There’s so much to see."

"Anything is fine, we’ll see everything in the end."

Lumine and her walked to the slots, going to an emptier corner where an older woman in a blue dress and a hat was sitting alone. She pulled from the lever, and three Cor Lapis lined up on the machine. Lights turned on and a large Mora prize came out.

Paimon’s eyes sparkled, and she gasped. "So much Mora!"

The woman turned her head. Groaning, she spoke with evident irritation. "What are you looking at?" Paimon was taken aback by her abrasive voice, but the woman saw it as a reason to ignore her and pick her money. "If you want Mora, sit down, play, and earn your own."

"We want to know more about the casino," said Lumine.

"Haven’t you thought what a ridiculous question that is before asking it?"

"Hey, don’t talk to her like that!" replied Paimon. "(Traveler) is just asking where did this place and all the people come from."

The lady pocketed her Mora and continued playing as she spoke, not bothering to look their way. "People come here to play. That’s what a casino is for. Now, if you’re not going to use the slot machines, go somewhere else."

"Ugh! What’s this woman’s problem?"

"It doesn’t look like she’ll listen to us. Let’s try somebody else." The Traveler walked away from the slots, and Paimon followed her.

Their next attempt was at the counter. Clockwork meks worked behind them like in the hall, and on the outside were ladies and gentlemen lining up to exchange money for chips as well as the other way around. Lumine got in the line for cashing out; the last man before him carried a bag, likely with a large amount of chips.

The young man noticed her looking at his bag. "I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I’ve won a lot of Mora."

"I make more a day doing commissions," said the Traveler casually.

The man gave a nod of approval. "So you’re the type who prefer adventure? I used to travel the world seeking thrill, too, but now I only I go out on vacations."

"You don’t live in this island, then?"

"That’s right. I have a house."

"And where is your house?"

"I live in the hotel."

"In the hotel?" interjected Paimon, "you just said you don’t live in the island."

He stared at them in silence for a moment, then turned forward again.

"Hey, don’t ignore us!"

Lumine and Paimon tried to initiate conversation with him again, but he remained silent, unresponsive to anything they said as if he didn’t see or hear them.

"That’s it, Paimon will give you a nasty nickname!"

"But he won’t talk, anyways," said the Traveler.

"...you’re right, it’s no use insisting. Let’s go ask somebody else."

They moved elsewhere, going past the roulette tables and stopping near a group of men playing cards. A small audience had formed around their table to watch them play. Among them, an older man was speaking to another about the players.

"Suzette is a player of high talent, indeed, but Mr. Breland’s play style is that of a man of experience. He will win this game, surely."

"Are they celebrities?" asked Paimon, next to Lumine.

The older man looked at the two of them with a confused stare. "You must be new here. These are only players with a passion for betting, they’ve both put a million Mora at stake for this match."

Her eyes went wide, like two big empty plates. "A million!?"

The man sneered. "Do not manifest your status as a newcomer so easily. High stake games are commonplace in here. Many of us have come to Hotel Les Mémoires to see it live."

"We didn’t see any port in the island," said Lumine. "How do people come here."

He stared at her with confusion again, only for all emotion to leave his face. Without a single word, he turned his attention back to the game.

"What? Again?" Paimon stomped her foot in the air. "Paimon’s getting tired of everyone acting so strange!"

Lumine attempted to talk to the other people close by, but they wouldn’t even start a conversation. "(They all refuse to speak,)" she thought, "(I can’t get any information from them like this.)"

They went somewhere else, giving up on their questions for the time being. To keep asking would have been a waste of time, and they still had places to see.

Next, they went to the leftmost side of the casino. There were two doors with the silhouette of a man and a woman painted on them. A sign with the same incomprehensible text as the one they saw outside hung above these doors, and between both stood an Annihilation Mek with the same painted tuxedo as the others. Just another one of the Specialist Meks guarding the place.

Putting a hand forward, it warned them. "Halt. Only those who have reserved a room in the hotel are allowed into the pool." They couldn’t argue against that. At least they knew what it was, though they couldn’t visit it.

Their next stop were the restaurants. The casino had three different restaurants, one large and the other two more modest. There were also two different bars, one with a refined Fontainian aesthetic and the other with a design inspired on Mondstat.

"All the restaurants look good," said Paimon. All three had their doors wide open, letting them see the clientele enjoying their food. Without the need to enter, the combined smell of the different meals reached them, the resulting scent enough to make Paimon’s mouth water. "Ehehe, Paimon can’t pick just one. Can’t we have all of them?"

"(Traveler)! Paimon!" Charlotte’s voice got the food out of the flying companion’s mind. The journalist had left her outfit to dry, and now was wearing a simple sundress that went from white to light red in a top-to-bottom gradient and a pair of sandals. The dress had a scoop neckline with some frill at the edge which, nonetheless, left some cleavage exposed.

A belt with a bird-shaped buckle wrapped around her hip where her usual belt was, and a pink ribbon ran over it, tied at the back in a large bow with a long tail that went down to a bit behind her knees. In place of a bow and jewel around her neck, she wore a choker with her vision tied at the front. Instead of her hat, she only had a hairpin shaped like a quill.

Her monocle remained on her left eye, however, and so did Monsieur Verite at the front of her belt.

"Charlotte! Wow!" Paimon put her hands in the shape of a photo frame. "You look ready for a summer vacation!"

"That outfit looks great on you," continued Lumine. Paimon nodded her head, agreeing.

Charlotte gave them a playful smile. "So these are the silver tongues that convinced the Fatui to side with Natlan."

Lumine put a hand on the back of her head. "It’s not exactly like that."

"Would you be interested in an interview about it to give me all the details?"

"Uh...It isn’t the best moment for that," argued Paimon.

"No worries, there’s time for it after we leave this island, we have another scoop to chase right now. Did you find anything?"

They explained everything to Charlotte and she listened intently once again.

"That’s just like the people I saw on the first floor. It’s clear something strange is going on with them, we’ve got more to figure out." She grabbed her kamera. "For now, can you pose for a photograph?"

"All of a sudden?" asked Paimon.

"I just want to have something to remember our vacation." She stepped closer to them and added "if the others don’t recognize us, it’s better to pretend we are tourists taking photos."

"Oh, right. Come on, (Traveler), pose for the kamera!" She winked, making a sideways v sign over her closed eye. Lumine just put her hands on her hips and smiled.

Charlotte aimed, ready to take the photo. "Say cheese!"

"Cheese!" they both exclaimed. And with a click, it was taken.

"That came out perfect, it could even be published on the Steam Bird, but we have to take more than one."

"(Traveler) can help take them with her own Kamera, she’s very good at taking photos."

They spent the following half-hour pretending to be just tourists enjoying their vacation together, taking turns to photograph each other as they had agreed, and between photographs Charlotte would take some of the casino itself.

To better keep their pretense, they gave the slots a few tries. Taking turns at it, they lost several times before Paimon got lucky with three lavender melons in a row, which gave them a bit more Mora than they had spent so far.

"Yay!"

"You’re a good luck charm, Paimon," said Lumine. "It’s worth all the money we spend feeding you."

Paimon tried not to look to proud of herself, but she couldn’t hide the smile of satisfaction in her face. "Hee hee, Paimon protects you, (Traveler), but also protects your wallet...wait, what did you say at the end?"

"Those are enough photos inside," Charlotte took over the conversation, "let’s go take more outside."

A loud growl was the answer. The journalist and the Traveler turned to Paimon.

"Why are you looking at Paimon? Paimon’s been hungry since we arrived at the island, but her stomach didn’t growl this time."

Another growl, this one louder, revealed the true source.

"I was so focused on chasing an article I lost track of time," said Charlotte, embarrassed. "You must be hungry too, (Traveler). I’ll pay for your food, it’s the least I can do after you saved my life."

They went to the largest of the three restaurants. It was like an extension of the casino, with the same aesthetics and the same style of furniture, only replacing the games for rows of tables. At one side, there was a small theater stage for live shows. The table they sat had a good view of the stage, but nobody was performing there at the moment.

They ate a hefty meal of fish and chips, with a side of Tomate Narbonnaises and Garlic Baguette, and, for Paimon, a serving of Steak Tartare. As for the dessert, the restaurant had a large selection of dishes from different regions, unlike the rest of foods which were exclusively from Fontaine. Charlotte couldn’t let go of a chance to try the sweetness of a Volcano Cake, and, by their own request, she ordered pancakes for Lumine and Paimon.

Though they felt they could eat the entire restaurant when they sat down, they were satisfied when they finished their desserts.

"Phew! Paimon’s full! Thanks for paying, Charlotte."

Charlotte sighed, content. "That was more expensive than I hoped, but it was so good I can’t complain." She went silent, waiting a second before placing her kamera on the table and tapping it on the side. A small compartment opened, and she pulled out a stack of small papers from inside. On only one of them, she had written down already what they told her outside the hotel and what she saw at the main hall and first floor, yet the letters were so tiny and with so little space between, that it had yet to fill one side.

Both Lumine and Paimon gave a look of surprise, which brought a smile to Charlotte’s face. "Pretty neat, huh? Monsieur Verite is fitted with all the gadgets I could need in an emergency. Since my notepad was soaked in the seawater, I have to rely on this." She took the quill from her hairpin and began writing what they told her before the photography session. Finally, in a different paper, she wrote down some ideas, though neither the Traveler nor Paimon could read it. When she finished, she put it all back in place.

"Where do we go now?" asked Paimon.

Suddenly, it all went quiet. All the other clients, busy speaking with their own conversations, had gone quiet for some reason. Lumine looked to see what had left them speechless, and she saw a man standing on the stage. He wore a brown topcoat with gold trimming over a white shirt and black tuxedo pants with overalls. His loose hair, black with some discolored lines, reached down to his ears, but in the back of his head it was left a bit longer and gathered into a short ponytail. A simple compass hung from his shirt pocket, and he carried a cane in hand, though he moved without the need to support himself on it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he spoke, "tonight is a special occasion. I am here to congratulate a union between lovers. Théophraste, the groom, and Germaine, the bride. May your love last forever." He raised a hand into the air, and the restaurant broke into applause.

Among the crowd, Lumine saw the couple. They were easy to recognize when looking for them, still dressed for a wedding ceremony and being the only ones not clapping in that crowd.

"Thank you, Mister...what was your name?" asked the husband.

"Don’t be so formal, call me simply Racine. Now why don’t you get on the stage and say something to the audience?"

The wife laughed. "That’s so embarrassing, I can’t do public speeches and my husband has stage fright."

"And what do you say, Théophraste?"

"Stage fright? I’m not afraid of the stage...b-but my legs are tired, and it would be bad luck to leave my wife alone in our wedding day."

"It’s a shame, but still, I am grateful to you for gracing my resort with your wedding, may you do so for a while longer."

Looking at it all from a distance, Paimon shrugged. "Why would anyone get married in a place like this? Wait, Charlotte, why are you so quiet."

Though she had taken some photos covertly, she hadn’t said a word since she saw that man on stage. "There is something familiar about that man, but I can’t recognize him"

Paimon and Lumine kept silent, letting her think about it, but she eventually gave up. "I can’t remember it. Maybe later, while I keep searching for clues."

"Some sleep could help you," replied Lumine.

"There’s still work to..." the journalist yawned. "Alright, I’ll check my notes again and go to sleep."

"We can’t afford to camp outside," said Paimon. "How about we sleep at the hotel? There isn’t really any other choice."

That’s how the three of them went back to the counter at the main hall.

"Welcome." The mek was already starting the same line when they approached it, but Charlotte spoke faster.

"Hello, we want a room with a single bed and room with two."

"Paimon and I will have single bed room, too," corrected Lumine.

"You’ll share a bed?"

"Of course, Paimon and (Traveler) sleep together all the time."

Charlotte gave Paimon a look of curiosity. "That sounds like you’re really close. How long have you been doing this? Whose idea was it?"

"Don’t ask those questions, you’re making it sound awkward!"

"Sorry, sorry, it’s a habit I have. As a journalist, I’m always excited to find out more, but I promise I won’t invade your privacy."

"Two. Single bed. Rooms," the clockwork mek cut them off. "Please, how long will you stay?"

"We’ll reserve a room for tonight," answered Lumine. "We’ll pay again if we have to."

They paid the charged amount and the mek gave them the keys. Lumine and Paimon were given a room on the floor above Charlotte’s.

The elevator was not too fast, nor too spacious, but it was enough of both not to be a problem. When Charlotte left, she waved goodbye. "Good night, you two. There’s a tea room on the first floor, see you in there tomorrow morning."

"Okay!" Paimon nodded. "Good night, Charlotte!" She and Lumine waved back at her until the elevator closed and took them to their floor.

Their bedroom was not too different from the typical one in a hotel. A desk, an armoire for clothes, and a bed with a nightstand. All of it was painted in the usual colors of Fontaine buildings. On the nightstand there was a lamp, and on the desk a large bottle of Fonta and drinking glasses.

The restroom had a bath with a wide selection of products like the mek had said. While Lumine was checking it, Paimon had already laid on the bed.

"It’s so soft! (Traveler), you have to try it!"

Curious to see just how good it was, and with nothing else left to do, Lumine laid her back on the bed. It truly was comfortable; of all the mattresses she had slept on in Teyvat, this was among the best. She rolled to her side, and quickly felt all the exhaustion of the day weight her body down. Her eyelids began to flutter.

Looking at Paimon, she also was struggling not to fall asleep immediately, though she was holding a bit better.

"Hey, (Traveler), we’ll find a way out of here like always." She spoke low, but there was confidence in her tired voice.

Lumine’s eyes closed, and she muttered "we’ll get out of here, Pai..." She fell asleep before she could finish speaking.

Paimon sat up, shaking her head. She pulled at the blankets, though she failed to move them from underneath Lumine. Still holding on to her side of it, she wrapped the blankets around the Traveler and huddled together with her.

"Good night, (Traveler)"

The next morning, Lumine woke up as the first ray of the sun entered through the window. She slowly opened her eyes. Clinging to her chest, she saw Paimon still sleeping.

"You!" a voice she didn’t recognize pulled her out of her morning drowsiness. Right next to the bed, a pale man was looking down at her. His body glowed with an unnatural light. His eyes burned with rage.